Do You Want To?

Been feeling a little stretched lately, and that's not exactly a bad thing. You'll never expand your capacity if you don't stretch, and if you don't expand in your capacity, there's no way you can grow. =)

It's this period of stretching that God asks me the same question that He asks me when I'm stretched, "Do you want to?"

"Do you want to?" is not the same as "Are you willing to?". They're very different in fact.

I remember the first time God asked me this question was when I grudgingly agreed to go to a prayer meeting. God came to my room that day and asked me, "Do you want to go to the prayer meeting?", and I told Him, "Yah, I can go.", and He asked me the same question again, "Do you want to go?", and I answered, "OK, I am willing, I'll go". I was surprised when He asked me a third time, "Do you want to go?". I was then that I really understood what He meant. Do I *want* to go?

That is not an easy question to answer some times, but when God asks you, He knows you're ready, it's just a matter of whether you want to or not.

Several times, I've been faced with this question, do I want to do well in my studies, do I want to serve more in my ministry, do I want to build myself up? It's only after I decided, "Yes, I want it!" then I've realised that I have grown.

Of course no one's born with a wanting heart. As you grow, you'll notice you'll be exchanging more and more of your willing areas into wanting areas, and that's when you know you've gone up one level, you've matured. When you're just a little kid, you didn't want to eat and had to be chased around to be fed. When you've grown a little, you'll want to eat to satisfy your hunger. And a little more, you'll want to eat so you've got energy to do what you need to. Some more, and you'll want to choose your food well so you'll eat healthy, and then you'll want to take health supplements on top of your food. This is how we all grow isn't it? =) At each stage, we're willing to do what's in the next level, just that we're not wanting to. It's only when we desire to go on, then we'll know we've gone up.

Also, being wanting instead of being willing to totally changes your view on the matter.

When you're willing, you may be able to give a 100% effort into it, but when you want to do it, you might put a 150% effort into it! It doesn't quite compare, because it's on a totally different plane. You'll see further, and you'll understand not just how and what you're doing, but more importantly why you're doing, and what this is going to achieve. In short, you see a much higher, much larger view of the picture than when you're just willing to do it.

To me, being willing is not good enough, I want to be in the realm of wanting. =)

A willing heart is good, a hungry heart is better... =)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. (Matt 5:6, NKJV)